Bittersweet time-lapse offers last look at beloved Toronto event set to leave city

It has been a crushing year for the Toronto events scene, with numerous cancellations of festivals hampering the typical vibe, including recent news that the beloved Honda Indy would be departing downtown as part of a multi-year deal that will relocate the annual race to Markham in 2026.

The Grand Prix of Toronto, also known as the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, and colloquially dubbed the "Honda Indy" by fans, has left scorched tire marks and ringing eardrums to the Exhibition Place grounds for almost 40 years. 

But the venerable motorsport tradition is parting ways with the 416 ahead of what is expected to be a particularly chaotic summer in Toronto, with BMO Field to play a key role in the upcoming FIFA World Cup in 2026.

While this beloved summer tradition may be skipping town like so many other festivals and events, one local photographer captured — unbeknownst to him at the time — what would become the historic last run of a longstanding race circuit.

Photographer Kotsy shared a time-lapse covering the setup and subsequent disassembly of what proved to be the final race in the Honda Indy's decades-long run in Toronto.

"Hearing the cars zoom around the track, the air show roar through the skies and the music from Caribana, Budweiser Stage and CNE concerts are all part of the allure of living in this area of the city for me," Kotsy tells blogTO, adding that "Losing the Indy race was extremely disappointing to say the least."

But while he, like many in the city, is sad to see the annual roar by the lake shore depart Toronto, he tells blogTO, "Knowing that I had footage of the track being constructed and torn down this year was a nice silver lining."

While the Indy will no longer be a part of life in downtown Toronto, many will be left with lasting memories of the screaming engines and exhilarating turns on a race circuit that will be forever immortalized in recorded media.

"In addition to the excitement all these summer events bring, I always enjoyed watching each of them come together over the weeks and am very grateful to have captured the construction of the iconic Indy track at what could be the very last opportunity," says Kotsy.

Starting next year, the Indy will be held in Markham Centre, a suburban downtown relatively unimpeded by the demands and conflicts of big-city Toronto. 

The re-dubbed Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham will take place from August 14-16, 2026.